Sep 8, 2022·edited Sep 8, 2022Liked by Bryn Robinson
Wow, Bryn, great post! I had tears in my eyes when I read this line:
'...I’m welcomed back into the room as Doctor. Just like that.'
But it wasn't 'just like that' at all - you'd done the work, you'd lived in and breathed the work, and you defended it perfectly. You'd absolutely earned it. Awesome!
Nice story, Bryn! We definitely share a similar path through the PhD ... I knew I didn’t want to stay in academia (I would have called it “get stuck in academia”) and I recall my advisor’s husband (also a history prof) looking at me and saying, “But what in the world will you do?” I told him that I thought there were other ways to combine writing and analysis than in the university, and it turned out there were, thank goodness. Anyway, I liked your post a lot and may decide to tell my version of this story, including my “face off” with one irascible old prof.
Defenses do feel dramatic, I think in part because they're the final step. But they also bring together people who are smart and who often (usually) don't see things the same way. What ends up being tested is interaction. Sometimes at least. A sort of glorified and narrowed oral prelim. At the end of my graduate school experience, which was overall pretty good, I felt like I should have been awarded an honorary doctorate in political science. Sounds like you had good support and encouragement.
But, you know, it's reassuring to know that you know more than anyone else in the room on your topic....
I’ll write it up--it’s a fun defense story, plus a bit on intentionally seeking a different path. And hey, it all worked out. I’ll give you a holler once I publish it.
Wow, Bryn, great post! I had tears in my eyes when I read this line:
'...I’m welcomed back into the room as Doctor. Just like that.'
But it wasn't 'just like that' at all - you'd done the work, you'd lived in and breathed the work, and you defended it perfectly. You'd absolutely earned it. Awesome!
(Oh, and that GIF!!!!!!!!!)
Nice story, Bryn! We definitely share a similar path through the PhD ... I knew I didn’t want to stay in academia (I would have called it “get stuck in academia”) and I recall my advisor’s husband (also a history prof) looking at me and saying, “But what in the world will you do?” I told him that I thought there were other ways to combine writing and analysis than in the university, and it turned out there were, thank goodness. Anyway, I liked your post a lot and may decide to tell my version of this story, including my “face off” with one irascible old prof.
Defenses do feel dramatic, I think in part because they're the final step. But they also bring together people who are smart and who often (usually) don't see things the same way. What ends up being tested is interaction. Sometimes at least. A sort of glorified and narrowed oral prelim. At the end of my graduate school experience, which was overall pretty good, I felt like I should have been awarded an honorary doctorate in political science. Sounds like you had good support and encouragement.
But, you know, it's reassuring to know that you know more than anyone else in the room on your topic....
I’ll write it up--it’s a fun defense story, plus a bit on intentionally seeking a different path. And hey, it all worked out. I’ll give you a holler once I publish it.